Author's note: Here is chapter 4. I think I have something that's called 'fluff' in here…not much I guess, but lots of rivalry and slight conflict. More conflict promised in the next chapter. Message me if you want/can to tell me how I'm doing. I've got lots of ideas formulating so I want to know how it looks so far. …By the way, the last title for the chapter was written in German. I forgot to translate it. It means "By night and fog"; A cool saying that's fun to use when talking about secrecy. This one is translated, "Love and Betrayal" I hope you like it! Wow, this is the longest author's note I've ever written.

Flau opened her eyes as a shadow flew overhead, obstructing the light from before her eyelids. The dawn was breaking and very few people were walking about. Flau stretched and sighed as she got down from the wall. She looked over and saw Rynka approaching her. "Hey, Flau," she said. "Ortoroz is looking for you. You forgot to report back to him last night. Eon is rather miffed about that. You better get to Void pronto."

"Last night…?" she asked. She finally remembered the mission and let out a gasp of shock. "No way! I totally forgot!"

"You better get down there and soon!" Rynka warned. "By the way, you've been acting strange lately. You haven't shown up at Void for any of the meetings lately. If we don't get a move on, we'll lose all our clients."

"I know," Flau said scratching the back of her head. "I've just been busy lately."

"Hanging out at Olacion…? I doubt it. It's not like you to constantly hang around this snooty place," Rynka said tactfully crossing her arms. "Like I said, if something is bothering you, just let me know. We're friends right? Let me in sometimes. You don't have to keep everything a secret."

Flau looked over at her with understanding. "Thank you, Rynka. I'll be at Void soon, alright?"

"Alright," Rynka smiled compassionately. "But really…if there's anything on your mind, I'm here for you." Flau gave a nod, and Rynka returned it before heading to Void.

Flau sighed. "It looks like we're going to have to restart the mission then…" she then heard Jack exit his house.

"Don't you ever sleep," he asked.

"What's it to you, kid?" she retorted.

"Nothing…I'm just asking," he smirked mischievously.

"You really are going to get on my nerves, Jack," she warned.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do?" he asked with sarcastic fear stepping into a stance.

She sighed again. "You're really not worth my time right now," she said as she headed in the direction of the Black Town of Night and Lust.

Jack watched her leave and decided to head to Vancoor Theater to see if he had any missions.

Meanwhile

Flau attended the meeting. Her eyes started drooping from the boredom. "Miss Flau, are you listening?" said a deep voice.

"Huh…?" Flau looked up shaking away sleep.

Ortoroz was staring directly at her with his false eye. "I asked you if you were listening."

"Of course I'm listening," she responded monotonously.

"Good," he said before continuing, "You and Eon will have to go back to Olacion tonight to retrieve the pendant. I've found a more reliable source of its whereabouts and have discovered that the pendant is, in fact hidden behind the wall of the pulpit," he grinned.

"How are we supposed to get in there and retrieve it in time unnoticed?" Flau argued.

"Simple," Ortoroz suggested grinning even wider. "You will lead High Priest Kain out of the chapel while Eon and Elmo unlock its compartment and take it out unnoticed," he concluded.

Flau stared. "How am I supposed to lead him out of the chapel?"

Rynka spoke up, "Because he knows and trusts you more than anyone else here."

She closed her eyes. "So you're using me to betray one of my friends in order to retrieve an object? Doesn't that sound at all anti-social?"

"Our target is not Kain," Ortoroz argued. "It's the pendant. I doubt even High Priest Kain knows about it. It was kept there by High Priestess Enjela."

"I see. So what do I get from all this?" she argued.

"10,000 dagols to your division," Ortoroz concluded placing a bag full of currency upon the meeting table.

Flau smirked. "Right then, let's get to it. What time?"

"Same as before, Flau," Eon said. "Only change is that you're the one distracting the priest."

Flau nearly smacked him for referring to Kain with such disrespect in his voice, but declined, catching herself before she made a mistake for no apparent reason. She got up from the meeting and left toward the door, quickly bowing before exiting.

On her way back to Olacion, she formulated a plan. She had to make dragging him out of the shrine seem reasonable, but she couldn't be too passive about it either. She reached the shrine, close to her normal arrival for talking with him in the confession room.

She stepped inside, sitting upon the familiar stool and waited for Kain to enter at the other side. A few moments passed before she heard the opening and closing of the door on the other side. Kain stood in front of the window and Flau held her breath, unsure of what to say. She had to complete her mission, but lying in a confessional felt so ironic and somewhat betraying.

"Are you there, Flau?" Kain asked calmly letting his words sink in through the window.

She gripped the edge of the small platform before her, and said shakily but still able to keep her confidence, "I'm here, Kain."

"It's good to know you still come in here," he said happily.

Flau looked down at her hand which still gripped the platform. "Yeah," she breathed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

For a moment, she did not respond. She watched her knuckles turn white from gripping the platform and looked up shyly at the window that separated the two. She could see the shadowy outline of Kain through the small holes. Swallowing hard, she thought of something to say, "I'd like to talk to you tonight."

"You know where to find me," he chimed.

"No," she said firmly. "The chapel…it's just too odd to meet you in there…I would like to talk to you…out on the bridge…the one that overlooks the city. It won't be any trouble for you will it? I know that you only go when you have an escort," she sighed. Then she held her breath waiting for his reply.

"That would be fine, Flau. I am perfectly capable of protecting myself without the assistance of others. I look forward to our talk this evening," he said happily.

Flau let out the breath she held and looked down slightly. "Me too," she replied.

"See you tonight then," she heard Kain say before he left.

She sat there for another five minutes, relaxing. Suddenly the door opened and Jack stepped inside, making her jump. "What are you doing here?!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"This is a confessional. You can't just waltz in here disrespecting the privacy of others! What is it with you, farm boy?!"

Jack cocked his head to one side and gave her a questioning look. "I can do whatever I want!" he said before leaving. "Geez…what's her problem. Why are all girls like that?"

The day passed by fast, according to Flau that is. Her mind was fuzzy and things passed by quickly as she walked even though she felt she was wading through water. She had no idea why she felt so nervous. She was simply preparing for a mission that evening. Why does it have to seem so difficult, she scolded herself. At that moment, a picture of Kain flashed in her head of him smiling down at her and she felt her face go red slightly.

As Flau made it down the Path of Insanity and Fanaticism, a purple clad ninja darted out from behind some boxes and blocked her path. She jumped; coming out of another daydream and quickly went into a fighting stance. Eon stood before her, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "Never mind, don't answer. Have you set up the diversion yet?"

Flau nodded. "How much time will you need exactly?" she asked leaning all her weight on one leg with her hands at her hips.

"Approximately ten minutes to find and retrieve the pendant," Eon answered.

"Wow, your division is slow at these jobs, Eon," she teased.

Eon swung out his arm. "We are not! We just happen to check a place more thoroughly!" We aren't careless, so no time will be wasted, got it, little girl?" he taunted.

Flau glared up at him. Curse him for being so tall! Flau internally yelled. "Fine," she said sighing and keeping her control. Eon smirked under the cloth that hid his mouth before walking toward a wall and leaping upon its roof; dashing away back to Void.

The hours continued to pass until the time was 20:30. Flau stood outside the entrance of the shrine After a few moments, Eon jumped down in front of her from the roof. She raised an eyebrow. "Is that your new escape route or something?"

Eon ignored her question and said, "We're ready to commence the plan. Hurry up and distract him. We'll be waiting on the roof so that he doesn't see us. Just hurry up okay?" he said with impatience. "Keep him there as long as you can. I don't care if you ensue a fight with him."

She glared and was about to knock his jaw off of his mouth before restraining herself and walking into the chapel. Kain sat on the first pew like always. When Flau saw him, she felt her throat tighten. Swallowing hard, she approached where he sat.

Without saying a word, he stood up, eyes closed. He only opened them when he turned to look at Flau. His green eyes again penetrated hers. He smiled which made her blush slightly. Turning, she motioned him to follow. As she walked out, she could hear his cloak drift around him as he followed. She had the urge to run as fast as she could from him, but remembered the mission and brought herself back to reality.

Her heart raced as they walked out of the shrine and down the steps and out of Olacion. They reached the bridge, surprisingly Clive had turned in early, and Flau gripped the railing and took a seat upon it to stop her knees from giving out. Honestly, why can't I keep my composure? she asked mentally. She heard Kain stop behind her. He didn't say anything. He simply stared over at her.

Flau felt her heart pounding against her chest as if it would break through with each beat. She heard his footsteps approach even more, causing her to blush. She gripped the railing harder, causing her knuckles to go white.

She heard Kain sit next to her. Soon after, a warm hand landed upon her shoulder. She felt him lean toward her ear and whisper, "You know that you can tell me anything. I won't do anything to mock you."

Flau did not look behind her toward him. The night was silent and deserted save for the small breeze that played with her hair slightly. The warmth of his hand and his face so close to hers caused her to redden. I'm going to look like I have a fever if I can't control my emotions! she thought. "I just…" she began but was unable to finish her sentence. More than anything, she wanted someone to walk by to stop her from speaking. Maybe even Jack to make fun of her. However, no one came and soon seven minutes had passed.

Without warning, Kain began massaging her shoulders. She jumped slightly, preparing to turn and knock him out, but stopped herself. He had strong hands and her body relaxed under his touch. She shook her head slightly. Ninja weren't supposed to relax! They were supposed to be guarded and unable to have their defenses taken down. Flau involuntarily leaned backward and rested her head upon his shoulder.

Kain smiled at this and moved his hand from her shoulder to brush the bangs from her face. "I know what is wrong, Flau. You're bothered by the fact that you don't want to be close to anyone. Your thoughts and actions are heavily guarded. Please tell me what I can do to help?"

Flau's eyes widened. How could he know?! She then shook her head and sat up from his shoulder. "It's nothing," she said with a chuckle.

Kain looked at her with his head to the side. "Somehow, all my years of knowing you tell me otherwise. Why won't you let anyone in? You're distant even with your partner Rynka."

"There's nothing wrong!" she said turning to him. She wanted to walk away, but sat there stubbornly.

"I'm asking you if you'll allow me to help. I know you're going through many trying times," he said softly.

She looked away. "Yeah, what would you know, Priest?"

He then caught her eye with his blue ones and she found herself entranced with their light. Kain was drawn to her deep brown eyes. The two of them inched closer until they met each other's lips. Kain wrapped his arm around Flau's waist and held her closely. Flau closed her eyes and embraced him around the neck. His kiss was soft and gentle and she felt herself being drawn to him even more. When they broke away, she put her fingers to her lips from the tingling that ensued from the action. Kain smiled down at her as he still held her closely.

"I know a lot more than you think, Flau," he whispered in her ear. Flau rested upon his shoulder; her eyes were still closed as a tear escaped her eyes, streaming down her cheek.

Eon had Elmo keep watch until he located the designated area where the pendant was hidden. He found a small crevice to which he was able to pull open a slot upon the wall as a hinge. "Heh…and I thought only Void had secrets," he said audibly.

"Hey, did you find it?" Elmo chirped from the entrance.

Eon looked over and nodded. He then removed the golden pendant, which looked like a highly elaborate pinwheel on a chain. "This must be it," he said tucking it away in a compartment on his belt. "Let's go get Flau."

The two of them ran through the street. Eon ran expertly with his arms dragging behind him while Elmo jogged as he followed his elder brother's pace. Eon slowed before turning the corner. As he craned his neck to see where Flau was, his mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. He saw the two lip locked sitting upon the wall of the bridge. His eyebrows narrowed as he saw her lean her head upon his shoulder.

Eon inched back toward the path that he came from and motioned Elmo to follow. "Wait until Ortoroz hears about this," he said malevolently as he quickly ran toward Void. Elmo struggled to keep up.

"Wait, Eon! I can't keep up with you! Why are we headed back to Void without Flau anyway?!" he said struggling to run and talk at the same time.

Eon turned a corner and pulled Elmo with him. "Did you not see what Flau was doing?"

Elmo turned away. "Yeah…I saw, but that's her business, not mine. She can do what she wants as long as the mission is completed right?" he said calmly.

Eon shoved him up against the wall. "That's a disgrace upon Void's name! Mingling with other guilds in that kind of manner," he growled.

"If I didn't know any better, brother, I'd say that you like Flau too," Elmo stated looking down at his brother.

"Shut up!" Eon said slamming Elmo into the wall harder. Elmo let out a cry. Eon's eyes widened. He released Elmo and turned away. "I-I'm sorry, Elmo," he said looking down.

"Ahem…" said an elderly voice from below. Eon looked over and saw Godwin staring at the two. "Is there a problem here?" he asked.

Neither of them answered. Miranda ran up to Godwin and caught sight of Elmo. She put her hands to her mouth and rushed over to him. Closing her eyes, she placed a hand upon his head and healed the bruise forming there. "Are you alright?" she asked concerned.

Elmo grunted before looking up. "I-I'm fine," he said rubbing his head and jumping to his feet. "Thank you!"

Miranda smiled up at him. "My pleasure," she said. "Hmm…? There've been an awful lot of fights lately. I wonder what's going on. People are becoming aggressive lately."

"I'll tell you later, Miranda," Godwin said. "You should turn in for now." She bowed before leaving toward her house and left the three of them there. "Now, would one of you be so kind as to tell me why you're causing trouble in Olacion?" he said folding his arms.

"Nothing," Elmo began. "We were just having a small fight. He's my elder brother so we get into arguments quite often."

"I see…well, you two behave yourselves when you're in Olacion from now on," he said returning to his house.

There was silence between the both of them. "C'mon, Eon said motioning to Elmo. "We'd better get back to Void."

"Are you going to tell Ortoroz what you saw?" he asked.

"Of course, no matter what the circumstance, Void doesn't get involved with other guilds. Even if it's some sort of 'peace treaty'."

Elmo looked down. Eon started walking and Elmo followed slowly. After a moment, Eon turned back to Elmo and said, "Cheer up. We've accomplished the mission. So don't drag, okay?" he said ruffling Elmo's hair affectionately. "Don't tell anyone from Void what I just did Elmo. This stays between you, me, and the fencepost."

Elmo nodded and grinned. The two of them made their way back to Void, pendant in hand.

Eon handed the pendant to Ortoroz who smiled after examining it closely. "Thank you. Now no other guild will be a threat to the bandit guild," he chuckled. "He will be quite pleased."

Rynka leaned forward in her chair. "Who is he?" she asked.

Ortoroz grinned. "I can't tell you unless he approves. Don't worry, Rynka. The man of which I speak of has only our best interest at heart."

"Tch…where have I heard that before?" she mused.

"Mr. Ortoroz, I have something very important to tell you," Eon interrupted. Elmo nudged Eon's arm and shook his head. Eon understood. "I must tell you in private," he said motioning to Rynka.

She sighed before bowing out of the room. "Honestly, is he going to confess his love for him or something?" she left Club Vampire and made her way to her house where Ganz was stargazing with Cody.

Inside the meeting room, Eon told Ortoroz about Flau and her rendezvous. After explaining the occurrence, Ortoroz leaned back in his seat. "I don't really have a problem with this. As long as it doesn't interfere with her work. However, I'll have to consult him about it. He might have a problem with the guilds mingling together."

"You mean Nyx, right, Mr. Ortoroz?" Eon asked with his eyes closed in a meditative state.

"Yes, I recall you know about him," he said happily.

"You do realize that Flau causes a potential danger with the possibility of leaking information," Eon countered.

"You've been targeting Flau a lot lately, haven't you, Eon?" Ortoroz observed.

"I'm simply making observations. She knows too much to get involved with another guild. If she quits the bandit guild and joins the priest guild again, she would not hesitate to leak information. You know this, right?" he countered.

"I don't think Flau is ready to quit the guild. She hasn't found her parents yet, young Eon. There is too much for her here to forsake for the love of another. Have a little more faith in her. As for you, I suggest you continue with your work," he said standing up. "In the meantime, I will meet with Nyx." With that he left out of the meeting room and pressed a button on the stone gargoyle which opened a pathway for him to enter to meet with Nyx.

Elmo let out a sigh, "You really need to keep your nose out of other people's business, Eon."

Eon glanced over at him before putting his hands behind his head and saying, "Well, you also might be in the same boat as Flau. I saw the way you were looking at Miranda." He opened one eye to see Elmo's reaction. His assumption was right. Elmo was blushing madly. Elmo looked up at Eon and glared, eyebrows furrowed. "She was just…really nice…and there's nothing wrong with befriending people! I'm not involved with her or anything!"

"Right…" Eon mused.

Flau pulled away from Kain as she stood up. Her back faced him as she looked up at the sky and asked. "Why did you kiss me?"

Kain stood up and followed silently to where she stood. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and muttered in her ear, "Because I love you, Flau."

She felt her heart beat faster at his proximity and silence. He held her close for a few more minutes before drifting away from her and back up toward the shrine. Flau barely noticed he had gone before she turned and found the street empty. Looking over at a clock tower her eyes widened. It was 2:00! She cursed herself as she raced back to Void and burst through the door of the meeting room.

She spotted Eon and Elmo sitting next to each other. Eon had his hands behind his head while Elmo had his arms folded across his chest. "Why didn't you guys come get me?!" she yelled.

Eon opened one eye. "Oh, so you're done making out?"

Flau's face went pale when he said this. "What are you talking about?!"

Eon chuckled. Elmo's body tensed at her rage. "Oh, so you didn't spot us as we passed by to signal that we were finished," Eon said with sarcasm. "I guess you were too busy face sucking with the priest."

Flau stomped toward Eon. She quickly drew one hand back and slapped it across his face. Elmo winced and looked away. Eon clutched his left cheek as it reddened into a bruise. "How dare you say that?!"

"But you can't deny that it's true, can you, Flau?" he smirked.

"What's wrong with you?! Can't you mind your own business?!" she screamed.

Eon glared up at her. "It's only because you're putting our guild in danger. If anyone else saw what you were doing, our competency would be questioned. You are an example of Void. If you can't portray the guild with respect, then I don't think you're worthy of the position!" he spat.

"You jerk! I haven't even done anything wrong!" she retorted ready to slap him a second time. He caught her arm and pushed her backward onto the floor pinning her down.

"You should think before you act on impulse. Listen, you are a representative of Void. If you lose focus on a mission, it fails. Void can't afford that kind of loss. If we lose too much, then we'll lose the respect of the other guilds!" he glared down at her.

She gritted her teeth before kneeing him in the groin and pushing him off her. She then sat up and nicked him with her fist. A bruise began to form around his eye. "Why don't you go back to your boss Nocturne like a good dog and leave me alone?" she asked before stomping out of the room. She went back to her house for once and slept there. She wasn't in the mood to pass Olacion.

She flung herself on her bed. Unable to sleep that night, she read a book. It was titled: "Psychological Effects of Elemental Experiments" by Lily and Arnsland; a book on black magic. She didn't know why, but the book amused her. She laughed most of the night, fighting the urge to throw things around or go chase Eon with a dagger. After a while, she left her house to sit on the ledge by Jack's house.